The Medea Complex by Rachel Florence Roberts

Hello there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers….the site that’s not afraid to get a little crazy at times, ESPECIALLY when it comes to my choice in reading material.  Case in point…

Today, we’re taking a look between the epages of a rather unusual little read.  How so?  Well, if you can figure out all that’s coming and going at you in the story from the get go, you’re one up on me….but if you’re like the majority of us, you’ll be intrigued, perplexed and at times a bit perturbed…more on that in a moment.  First, let’s greet today’s featured title with an open mind and gentle persuasion…don’t want to rile anyone up or anything in their current state.  *ahem*  Today’s featured ebook is...

The Medea Complex

By

Rachel Florence Roberts

About the Book…

1885. Anne Stanbury - Committed to a lunatic asylum, having been deemed insane and therefore unfit to stand trial for the crime of which she is indicted. But is all as it seems?

Edgar Stanbury - the grieving husband and father who is torn between helping his confined wife recover her sanity, and seeking revenge on the woman who ruined his life.

Dr George Savage - the well respected psychiatrist, and chief medical officer of Bethlem Royal Hospital. Ultimately, he holds Anne's future wholly in his hands.

The Medea Complex tells the story of a misunderstood woman suffering from insanity in an era when mental illnesses' were all too often misdiagnosed and mistreated. A deep and riveting psychological thriller set within an historical context, packed full of twists and turns, The Medea Complex explores the nature of the human psyche: what possesses us, drives us, and how love, passion, and hope for the future can drive us to insanity.

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A tale of love, loss, lies, and a murder (or two or three or…) most heinous, this is a story for the curious amongst us.  If you’re curious about the inner workings of the mind, what can drive people to do what they do, the field of psychology, the history of mental illness, or simply crave a who-dun-it that’s not as clear as crystal…you’re in for a treat.  What at first you may presume is more than likely proven wrong by book’s end.  You’ll change your mind half a dozen times about the characters, but just when you believe you’ve settled on your final judgment, be prepared for things to change once again.  To me, it almost reads like the minds it attempts to capture with words….not a bad thing, just a curious one. 

My outlook on the characters?  They all play well in the role of narrator, giving the story a more rounded viewpoint, though there are a few times we actually heard more from one than the other as to ascertain the details we’re missing about parts of the back story.  Cie la vie, it still works for our needs.  As for my observations of each character, I’ve afraid they might reveal TOO much about the who, what, and why-in-the-world, but I will play favorites.  Top choices….Anne, Beatrix, and young innocent Betty.  The first two simply for their minds, their affections, and their ability to stand strong in a world trying to tear them to pieces.  The third was an easy pick as well for her simple nature and honest voice…not to mention I enjoyed reading her more regional dialect; really gets you into character.

Probably the most interesting part of the whole experience is the fact that it’s not purely a work of the imagination; it has its roots in actual events.  At book’s end in the author’s note section, Ms. Roberts is kind enough to outline all the essential ingredients used in creating this curious Victorian type mystery…and in doing so, opens the door to future reading opportunities as well.  Seriously, it might be morbid but there’s a book listed amongst the sources entitled, “My Experiences as an Executioner”; if I said I’m not curious, I’d be lying.

All in all, the story delivers on most of what it promises allowing readers to delve behind the preconceived notions of who we think people are and what situations appear to be to uncover the often times darker underbelly of what really is.  Hey, I never said it would deliver sunshine and roses…not all stories were meant to have a happily-ever-after, at least not for EVERYONE.

Recommended read for older teens through adults looking for a curious story that will have you guessing just what in the world is REALLY going on, while exploring the world of the mentally unstable.  The only drawback for me story-wise came just after we leave the mental hospital.  Just when you thought you were headed in one direction, it gets snatched away from you and I suppose I wasn’t ready for the switch.  Still, it works and in the end delivers a sentence that serves one and all.

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About the author….

British born and raised, Rachel Florence Roberts is a registered nurse, fiancée and mother of one based in Malta, EU. The Medea Complex was written shortly after the birth of her son, and took almost two years to complete. She suffered with postnatal depression in a country that did not understand her, and was henceforth the inspiration behind the novel. The Medea Complex will make anyone who has ever thought, lived, laughed, and loved, question the importance of those and everything around them.

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Ebook for review courtesy of author Rachel Florence Roberts.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title as well as those still to come, be sure to stop by her official site, like her on Facebook, or follow along on Twitter.  This title is available now so be on the look out for it on a virtual shelf near you. 

Until next time…happy reading!